Open House for newly acquired building: former Syngenta lab and office, Coon Rapids

Former Syngenta QA Lab and Production Offices, empty, newly acquired by the city of Coon Rapids, available for new business opportunities in Carroll County.

November 3, 2014

Open House for area residents to see former QA Lab and Production Offices

Earlier this fall, the Coon Rapids city council voted to accept ownership of the former Syngenta Quality Assurance lab and production office located on the south side of Main Street between Fourth and Fifth Avenues. The action was at the recommendation of the Coon Rapids Development Group, CRDG, which has pledged its efforts to market the building to a potential new buyer who could utilize the facility and hopefully create new jobs.

The building will be given to the city (Jan. 1, 2015) by Hartung Brothers, a firm which purchased all Syngenta seed processing facilities here last year. Hartung officials say the building does not fit in with Hartung’s wholesale seed corn production businesses, although they recognize its unique features and that is why they are hoping the city can find another use for the facility. The QA lab building is an unique structure artfully renovated in 1993 but it is big(!)—with more than 25,000 sq. ft. of multi-level space including offices, labs, conference rooms, kitchen and bathroom facilities. Until they officially take ownership, the city has leased the facility for $1 and CRDG officials will continue to work with area economic development experts to promote the building’s availability. If the building remains empty through 2015, the city will consider putting it up for public auction.

CRDG would like to encourage local residents to promote the building to out-of-town family or friends in the outside chance that someone might be interested and have a use for it. In this effort, they are hosting an open house next Thursday, November 6 form 4:30—6p.m. for local residents to come and walk through the facility to see how important it is to find a suitable owner.